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January is a popular month for inquiries into plastic surgery. With the coming of the new year people begin to think about their goals for another year in their lives. The emphasis that society places on good looks, influences these goals and thus many people decide to look better in the new year. Dr. Richard Chaffoo, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon, said in a press release, “Most New Year’s resolutions boil down to one simple desire: to look and feel more like the person you want to be.” More often now, than previous years, people hope to accomplish this through plastic surgery.

Make Yourself Amazing (MYA) cosmetic surgery is a leading clinic in the UK. They reported that between January 1st and Jan 14, 2010 there was a 15% increase in enquiries when compared with the same time period in 2009. John Ryan, MYA Chairman, says, “January is a busy time for the cosmetic surgery industry. After the Christmas and New Year period people often start setting new goals or New Year’s resolutions.
These goals often include improving one’s appearance or completing a goal they never achieved last year. We get a lot of people coming in saying that they have been interested for a while but have never got round to arranging a consultation.”

The figures for enquiries showed that breast augmentation was the most sought after procedure. The number of enquiries for this procedure actually increased 21% over last year. Breast augmentation is followed by liposuction, breast uplift, nose reshaping, and tummy tuck, in that order. These numbers show that plastic surgery is continuing to grow in popularity and no end to this growth is in sight.

The GoodSurgeonGuide performed a study at the end of 2009 which revealed that women in particular are putting more emphasis on looking good in 2010. This study showed that 51 percent of the women surveyed expressed that they were considering having cosmetic surgery. Christina Clogg, co-founder of the guide said, “We were surprised that it [looking good] was more important to some than a more successful career or finding someone special.” Looking good has become a very important factor in society and women feel it more strongly than men. Women are expected to look young and pretty, so under going plastic surgery is an understandable extension of this ideal.

According to these surveys, 2010 will prove to be a very popular year for cosmetic surgery. People have become much more comfortable with having procedures done, and society has become much less judgmental of people who have had them.

2010 has seen a large number of people making resolutions to change the way their body looks. Diet and exercise are of course on most people’s list of resolutions, but not surprising is the number of people who want to have cosmetic surgery. Those who can afford it make a resolution to have at least one of any number of different procedures. Those who can not afford it still include it on their wish list of things they would like to do.

A recent survey showed that 54 percent of adults would undergo plastic surgery if money were not an issue. On behalf of RealSelf.com, Harris Interactive performed the survey and analyzed it to make a wish-list of cosmetic surgeries. Tom Seery, president of RealSelf.com, said, “We found it interesting that so many are open to a significant surgery procedure like tummy tuck, in contrast to minimally invasive Botox injection.”

The survey involved 2,227 adults who answered a variety of questions concerning what procedures they would have if they did not have to worry about the cost. Teeth whitening topped the list for both men and women, with a total of 52% saying that they would have it done. Most people do not realize that there is a whole field of cosmetic dentistry and teeth whitening is a very popular procedure.

Tummy tucks and liposuction were the next two procedures on the list for women. Thirty-nine percent of the women surveyed said that they would have a tummy-tuck. The tummy is a very important area for a woman who wants a sexy body. Liposuction, with 34 percent of women, has a variety of applications that can help to contour and reshape the body. Women also said that hair replacement would be a desirable
procedure. Many women begin to lose their hair either because of aging, sickness, or changes in hormones due to menopause. The hair loss typically manifests itself in a thinning of the hair. Hair replacement can restore the fullness and luster that their hair once had.

The wish list for men was similar to that of women, with men’s top three dream procedures being teeth whitening, hair replacement, and liposuction. Though most women say that they do not put much emphasis on the way a man looks, men obviously want to look good too. Society has put a lot of stress on men to look good to be successful and this survey shows that men do indeed care about their appearance.

The survey showed that many people would have plastic surgery if they did not have to be concerned with cost. Big News reported that loan companies are giving money for people to use on cosmetic procedures. This could remove the concern about cost and allow many more people to have the procedures that they put on their wish list. They may finally be able to attain their dream body.

Most people who consider having a cosmetic procedure contemplate many reasons to do so. One of the considerations at the top of their list is how the results of the plastic surgery will make them feel. When people feel that they look good they carry themselves differently. They stand straighter and exude a sense of confidence and happiness that is genuine.

This confidence is overflowing from Gillian Lyttle because plastic surgery has given her a happiness that she never thought she would ever achieve. She had been overweight for four years and weighed more than sixteen stone. She told the Belfast Telegraph that she had joined a diet club and had successfully lost five stones and four pounds. This loss of fat left a lot of loose skin and stretch marks so, though she was thrilled with being thinner, she still did not have the body that she desired.

To acquire the body that she dreamed of she had to turn to plastic surgery. She underwent a tummy tuck and a breast lift and has seen an increase in her happiness that knows no bounds. Being able to wear a bikini for the first time was an experience that she will never forget. The surge in her confidence level has made her life much easier and enjoyable. While she had been overweight she refused to date because she was afraid that anyone who asked her out was only trying to wind her up. She now has a boyfriend whom she met at work and is content.

Plastic surgery can have a drastic effect on a person’s life. Having a body which makes a person proud allows their confidence to grow substantially. Many people do not realize how much of a difference a higher self-esteem can have on a person’s life. Gillian feels better about herself and thus a strong confident aura surrounds her that can be felt by the people that she encounters throughout her day.

All year people watch their figures, by eating healthy, and exercising. Then the Christmas season comes along and they do a little bingeing. It’s hard to resist grandma’s Christmas cookies or that special pumpkin pie that mom brings over. This seasonal overeating is enough to send people rushing to the surgeons office for a tummy tuck.

Mark Norfolk is the Clinical Services Director of the Transform Cosmetic Group, in Wakefield, United Kingdom. Due to this position he is uniquely able to give opinions about motives for plastic surgery as well as current trends. On average people gain about six pounds over the Christmas season, but experts say that this year the average weight gain has nearly doubled. Mark told the Sun, “We always see a rush for
weight loss surgery at Christmas, but this year’s been exceptional.” He reported that many women blame the recession for their weight gain. He said, “They’ve let go over Christmas, bingeing on food and booze and are feeling the consequences.”

The number of appointments for invasive weight loss plastic surgery procedures has risen 57 percent compared to last year. These procedures include abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) which involves a manual tightening of the abdominal muscles and removal of excess skin. This procedure slims and contours the abdomen for a very appealing look. Another procedure that is in high demand, to handle the Christmas binge flab, is liposuction. Liposuction is a process where fat cells are actually pulled out of problem areas.

Gastric bands, bariatric surgeries, are also popular as weight loss surgeries. These bands are clamped on the stomach to reduce the amount of food that a person is able to consume. These surgeries allow for a large amount of weight loss and thus are meant for people who are clinically obese. After losing substantial weight with this surgery, many people opt to have additional procedures to finish the sculpting of their body.

Plastic surgery has increased in popularity each year and 2010 will not be an exception. The extensive media coverage of cosmetic procedures has brought knowledge of their benefits to a wider range of people in society. As the procedures become more mainstream and more surgeons are available, the price of the procedures gradually becomes less. Even the recession has not been able to stop the growth of the plastic surgery market. In fact Patrick Mallucci, a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told the Guardian, “What has been surprising for me is that it is very busy during a time of supposed recession.”

For women who have faced the trauma of cancer the last thing they are ready to endure is the psychological torment of a mastectomy.

Though foregoing the scarring surgery is not an option for some, a new surgery that uses tissue from the abdomen to rebuild the breast is promising many a reconstructive procedure that will rebuild their breast and give them a tummy tuck at the same time. The recovery time is quick and the patient reports have been overwhelmingly positive for this type of surgery.

The procedure is called Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap procedure and involves taking skin and fat from the abdomen and transplanting it to the breast through a microsurgery procedure that promises more youthful, firmer breasts. An additional added benefit is that the breasts will age naturally with the body. Because the procedure preserves muscle, the recovery time is quicker and less painful for the patient.

Dr. Michael Saint-Cyr, assistant professor of plastic surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center confirms the study’s findings by saying: “The DIEP flap procedure can offer women seeking breast reconstruction after a mastectomy some of the advantages of a more natural breast with the effects of a tummy tuck. Although it is a more complex surgery, it preserves muscles for quicker recovery and less postoperative pain.” One of the major advantages to this procedure is that it can be done immediately after the mastectomy and alleviate the psychological aspects of preparing for an additional surgery.

For women facing the pain of a mastectomy the promise of a surgery that can not only reconstruct what they have lost, but give them the added benefit of a tummy tuck is a good one. One patient who had to undergo a double mastectomy opted for the procedure stating, “The goal was to go to sleep with two breasts and wake up with two breasts.” To have the mastectomy and the reconstruction done all at once was a relief to the patient who feared recovery from one surgery while she faced another.

Though the procedure is gaining popularity, there are still only a few surgeons who are trained to perform it so a patient should prepare to locate and travel to a trained doctor for surgery.

Carrying a child and giving birth is probably the most rewarding thing a woman can do in her life. However, once their child has grown up, many women soon find themselves wishing they could get the body back which they once had. 

Whilst exercise and healthy eating obviously plays it part, the damage which pregnancy does to our figure and our looks is often irreversible.  As well as the obvious area of the stomach, surgeons are now saying the only way to regain pre-pregnancy breasts is to turn to Cosmetic Surgery.

These so-called Mummy Makeovers are becoming more and more popular on both sides of the Atlantic and one Tennessee-based specialist, Dr. Dampier, has spoken out about the changes which can happen to a woman’s breasts just after conception, changes which can carry on right into the breast-feeding period.  Apparently, the “saggy” bosom which this causes is not something which can be rectified “with exercise alone”. Dr. Dampier also commented: “During this period, some breasts shrink to their original size, while others remain large. Even those that get smaller tend to become more ptotic – or saggy,”

Many women who have decided that they don’t want to have any more children often decide to undergo cosmetic procedures.  Breasts can be reduced or boosted to their original, pre-pregnancy size and scar tissue, caused by pregnancy, can also be treated. Being a mother, or even a grandmother, doesn’t mean you have to be dowdy or frumpy; if you’ve got it, flaunt it. If you haven’t got it, then surgery can give it to you! 

The pressure to snap back into shape after giving birth is something which affects celebrities as well as ordinary people. It is now thought that many celebrities undergo a caesarean then have a tummy-tuck almost straight away after so that they can flaunt their way out of hospital in their skinny jeans. It is trends such as this which are causing many women to consider surgery in order to regain the figure they once had before they fell pregnant. Wanting to look fabulous is a good thing but, remember, the most important thing is that you and your child are both healthy and happy.  Once you feel ready to take the plunge into surgery then consider all the options carefully; can you have a lengthy recovery when you have a child to look after?

A wedding is the social event of the year for any family. 6 months is spent of trying to find an outfit, then a further two weeks spent dithering over whether a fascinator would be too garish or not and then, finally, the big day arrives.  Then when you get the photos back you notice that your bridesmaids might not look as glamorous as you may have first hoped. Never fear, there is a name for it within the cosmetic surgery profession, it’s called the ‘Bridesmaid’s Bulge’.

The rather vulgar term refers to excess body fat or ‘flab folds’ which can become visible when women are forced into strapless dresses for weddings (hence the name given to the problem).  Dr. Paul Cronin has spoken out, explaining that: “Technically, it’s the anterior ancillary fat pad… We have all seen those wedding photos when the older bridesmaids are forced to wear unflattering strapless dresses. That’s when you notice these folds of flab sticking out at the sides, below their armpits. These women are generally not overweight.” Of course, by the time you’ve got the wedding pictures back it’s somewhat too late to do something about the problem but it is hoped that, by drawing attention to the problem, more women will be able to take action before they fall victim to the dreaded bulge of the bridesmaid.

The problem is that these areas generally don’t respond to exercise. They are stubborn areas of fat that will likely stay even with the most rigorous exercise program, never mind with the tiny amount of workout most people find time to squeeze into their hectic schedules. Other areas notoriously hard to tone include the ‘muffin-top’ area; the part which infamously spills over every time we try pull off the Victoria Beckham look and squeeze into a pair of skinny jeans.  There is help at hand though and, because of recent advances in technology, the solution doesn’t have to lie in invasive and expensive surgery.  Non-invasive alternatives, such as Laser Liposuction, can help break down the stubborn areas of fat and simply dissolves it away into the body. Of course, proper liposuction, or a tummy-tuck would be a much more permanent solution to the problem. Don’t wait until some wedding photo’s make you cringe, get your bridesmaid bulge sorted now and you might be the next one walking down the aisle!

In times gone by it might have been the young and the vain who underwent plastic surgery, or perhaps the middle-aged desperately trying to regain their youth. Not anymore!

Now there’s a new group of cosmetic-surgery patients on the block and they’ve got free bus passes and a penchant for Alan Titchmarsh. A new survey carried out by MGM Advantage has shown that 1 in 30 women intend to have plastic surgery once they have retired from work; after about 50 years of working hard 5 days a week they clearly feel they deserve to treat themselves- and rightly so!

Whilst women want to make themselves look younger after retirement it would seem that men harbour no such ambitions; rather 1 in 50 of them say they want to travel into space when they retire! Having a face-lift or a tummy tuck certainly seems like a much more realistic option and will certainly be a lot less expensive.

However, day-dreaming is one thing, the financial realities of retirement are quite another. The website behind the survey has spoken out, saying that: “Our retirement dreams need to be paid for and that’s where many of us are simply not prepared”.  It is advised that people start planning early if they feel like they are going to want surgery as they get older. We all know that the ageing of our skin and our bodies in inevitable as death itself and thus, if you know you’re not going to be happy with this older you and want to do something about it when you have the free-time to do so, why not start saving for a post-retirement cosmetic procedure?

One woman who has done this recently spoke to the Daily Mail. Amelia, 62, decided that she didn’t like the way she looked around her early 50’s and thus had always planned to go under the knife once she was retired.  She decided to have a face-lift and, several years on, is now very pleased with the results.  She says she: “no longer had a droopy face but firmer younger-looking skin” and will now feel much more confident about enjoying her retirement whilst looking like a woman 20 years her junior! Retirement is for relaxing and, as long as you can afford it, why not make it about getting the body you’ve always dreamed of too!

It looks like in the winter months cosmetic surgery patients turn to certain treatments, such as laser hair removal, in order to be ready for upcoming spring.

Dr Timothy Jones, a plastic surgeon from the US, reported that women are already thinking about their spring wardrobe and are seeking to achieve smoother skin. An increasing number of female patients are looking for new modern ways of laser hair removal.

“Many women actually prefer to undergo laser hair removal treatments in the winter, because a typical treatment plan requires four to six treatments spaced at intervals of a few weeks,” he explained.

“With this time frame, you need to get a good head start in order to achieve maximum results by the time the weather starts to warm up and you pull the shorts and skirts out of your closet.”

Moreover, researchers claim that demand for liposuction procedures also rises during the cold season, since people want to improve their appearance before the New Year.

Cosmetic surgery experts are concerned that there might be an increase in patients looking for cheaper cosmetic treatment and consequently risking their health in relation to the difficult economic situation.

The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors (BACD) have made an announcement addressed to individuals who are considering plastic surgery in the near future not to trust clinics and practitioners that offer treatments at significantly reduced prices.
 
According to Dr John Curran, the president of BACD: “In times of economic uncertainly people turn to non-surgical cosmetic treatments as they are cheaper than cosmetic surgery and provide an immediate result.

“However we are concerned that people may be tempted to “shop around” for cheaper treatments which could lead to a surge in horror stories if administered by poorly trained practitioners.”

Dr Curran pointed out that dermal fillers and Botox injections can be especially risky, since the regulations for these particular procedures in the industry are not strict enough and patients can become victims of an underqualified treatment.

General Medical Council has introduced new guidelines that require all patients undergoing Botox, Vistabel and Dysport procedures to be examined by a professional doctor.